Tiarella plant named &#39;lehigh&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Tiarella cordifolia  plant characterized by its lobed foliage with purple markings and white blooms on a clump forming plant that produces many runners.

BOTANICAL/COMMERCIAL CLASSIFICATION

Tiarella cordifolia/Tiarella Plant.

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

‘Lehigh’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new Tiarella cordifolia was selected during 2007 as a seedling from the garden at the Nursery of Sinclair A. Adam Jr. at Coatesville, Pa., U.S.A. The exact parentage of the new variety is unknown. It resulted from seedlings grown from open-pollinated plants of Tiarella cordifolia, and Tiarella cordifolia var. collina. Several hundred plants are grown for seed production, and some or all of these plants are likely included in the parentage of the new variety of the present invention.

The new variety has been carefully preserved and studied since the time of its discovery. Had such new variety not been discovered and preserved, it would have been lost to mankind.

It was found that the new Tiarella cordifolia, variety of the present invention exhibits the following combination of characteristics: (a) exhibits a compact mounding clump growth habit with substantial runners, (b) forms attractive white flowers on branched flower stalks, (c) forms lobed ovate green leaves having a matte finish during the summer that bear maroon markings along the leaf veins maroon and in the center, and this pigment expands in the late summer. In fall the leaves turn darker red of variable intensity during the fall, and (d) is particularly well suited for growing as a distinctive ornamental ground cover, creating a dense stand in a season.

The new variety of the present invention can be readily distinguished from other previously known varieties of the species in view of the distinctive combination of characteristics discussed herein. The red, and green spring, summer, and fall color is considered to be particularly noteworthy.

The new variety ‘Lehigh’ can be compared to ‘Elizabeth Oliver’ (not patented), which differs from ‘Lehigh’ in having shorter runners, light pink flowers, and foliage that is more heavily suffused with maroon. ‘Lehigh’ can also be compared to cultivars from the same breeding program, ‘Octoraro’ (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/589.995), ‘Delaware’ (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/589.997), and ‘Susquehanna’ (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/589.996). ‘Octoraro’ differs from ‘Lehigh’ in having larger white flowers, foliage that in spring has maroon markings that are localized primarily on the veins, and in having foliage that turns golden yellow with red veins in the fall. ‘Delaware’ differs from ‘Lehigh’ in having more red colored runners, and flowers that are tinted pink in color. ‘Susquehanna’ differs from ‘Lehigh’ in having foliage that turns dark red with green margins in fall.

The new variety well meets the needs of the horticultural industry and expands the choices of ornamental ground covers which fills in as a stand well. It performs well wherever a ground cover is desired, and is particularly well suited for use as a border planting, use in shaded areas, and for ecology and restoration casting open pollinated seedlings, and asexual runners.

The runners (stolons) and flower stems of clumps have been used to asexually propagate the new variety at Delhi, N.Y. (laboratory), and Coatesville, (breeder and Nursery) Pa., U.S.A. It has been found that the distinctive combination of characteristics of the new variety is firmly fixed and is reliably transmitted to succeeding generations. During observations to date, the new variety has been found to be readily amenable to such propagation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1: shows a two-year-old plant in the nursery in Coatesville, Pa. in May.

FIG. 2: shows the maturity of the blooms on a two-year-old plant in Coatesville, Pa. in May.

FIG. 3: shows the maturity of the leaves on a two-year-old plant in Coatesville, Pa. in May.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new variety that was obtained while observing plants being grown outdoors, and in the greenhouse during 2007-2008 at Coatesville, Pa., U.S.A. The plants were approximately two years of age and were being grown on their own roots. The chart used in the identification of color is The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England. More common color terms are to be accorded their ordinary dictionary significance.

-   Botanical classification: Tiarella cordifolia — ‘Lehigh’. -   Plant: Habit. — Compact mounding clump, several runners.     -   -   Type.—Evergreen.         -   Height.—Approximately 11 to 14 cm without blooms, and             approximately 15 to 20 cm with blooms. Width. —             Approximately 30 cm.         -   Stolons.—Pubescent surface, with hairs <1 mm in length,             internode length about 2 cm, and Greyed Purple Group 186C in             color. -   Foliage: Type. — Simple. Shape. — Ovate to broadly ovate, palmately     five-lobed with an elongated central lobe with 2 pronounced crenate     sub lobes, and irregularly crenate margins on all lobes having     mucronate teeth. Each tooth has a small point, which is relatively     firm with a leaf vein extending to the end of the tip.     -   -   Length.—Approximately 8.5 to 10.5 cm.         -   Width.—Approximately 7.5 to 8.5 cm.         -   Margins.—Incised with dentation.         -   Apex.—The lobes are broadly obtuse to rounded and cuspidate.         -   Base.—Cordate.         -   Texture.—Upper surface; slightly rugose with a matte finish             and pubescent with hairs about 2 mm in length and 3 mm             apart, lower surface; glabrous with hairs along veins only             <1 mm in length.         -   Arrangement.—Basal clump, with branched runners 8 to 12 in             number, usually 18 to 26 cm in length.         -   Venation.—Palmately reticulate. -   Young foliage: On the upper surface Yellow-Green Group 144A to 144B,     and Greyed-Purple Group 187A at the center and along the main vein,     and on the lower surface Yellow-Green Group 146B to 146C. -   Adult foliage: On the upper surface Green Group 137B to 137D, and     Brown Group 200B at the center and along the main vein, and on the     lower surface Yellow-Green Group 146B to Greyed-Green Group 191A. -   Fall foliage: Both the ventral leaf surface (upper) and the dorsal     leaf surface (lower) are characterized by areas of light red and     darker reddish-purple that are near and through the following     colors: Red Group 49D and Red-Purple Group 62D in the lighter areas     to Red Group 53D and Greyed-Purple Group 186B in the mid-tones to     Greyed-Purple Group 187A and 187B in the darker areas. The dorsal     leaf surface exhibits a matte appearance when compared to the     glossier appearance of the ventral leaf surface that commonly is     increased in expression in the autumn foliage.     -   -   Petiole.—The length commonly varies from approximately 8 to             11 cm, and the diameter commonly is approximately 2 mm,             surface is pubescent with hairs <1 mm in length, color is             Green Group 144C on distal portion and Greyed-Purple Group             186A on proximal portion. -   Inflorescence: Type. — Raceme and perfect (bisexual). Number. —     Approximately 30 to 50 blooms per raceme. Bearing. — On a branched     stalk commonly having a height of approximately 15 to 20 cm, with up     to 2-3 short side branches. Side branches are 2-6 cm in length,     bearing 5 to 10 blooms. Lastingness of inflorescence. — About 3     weeks. Flower buds. — Ellipsoid in shape, perigynous, 2 to 3 mm in     depth and 2 mm in diameter, Greyed-White Group 156B in color.     -   -   Calyx.—Five-lobed, about 6 mm in width, White Group NN155B             in color . Petals. — Five. Petal shape. — Triangular.             Stamens. — Ten, about 5 mm in length. Anthers coral color             Red group 37C.         -   Pistil.—One, about 5 mm in length. Flower size. —             Approximately 6 to 9 mm in width and depth on average per             floret. Color. — On the dorsal surface White Group 155B and             on the ventral surface White Group 155A. Fragrance. — Slight             and sweet. Pedicel. — Approximately 5 to 6 mm in length on             average and White Group 155C in color. -   Development: Vegetation. — Clump-forming, with runners (stolons).     -   -   Blooming.—Abundantly when initially blooms during May/June             and sporadically thereafter during the summer and fall. -   Resistance to disease: No susceptibility to diseases has been noted     during observations to date.     -   -   Hardiness.—Has proven to grow well in U.S.D.A. Hardiness             Zones No. 4 to 7. -   Propensity to form fruit/seeds: Approx. 0.10 grams per (1 year old)     plant (about 350 seeds). -   Plants of the new ‘Lehigh’ variety have not been observed under all     possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is     possible that the phenotype expression may vary somewhat with     changes in light intensity and duration, cultural practices, and     other environmental conditions. 

1. A new and distinct Tiarella plant as herein illustrated and described. 